Genealogist to speak on 'Resurrecting Grandpa's Store' on April 7

Scott E. Meyer, recording secretary of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois, will speak on “Resurrecting Grandpa’s Store” on Sunday, April 7, 2019, at a JGSI west suburban meeting. His presentation will begin at 7:00 p.m. at Congregation Beth Shalom, 772 W. 5th Ave., Naperville, Ill. Registration and networking will begin at 6:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to this free event.

In his presentation, Meyer, a former JGSI president, will recount how the discovery of a small, faded Polaroid photograph of three people led to a detailed reconstructed view of his grandfather’s grocery store. He will share what he learned about researching small Chicago businesses, and how he re-created an image that once existed only in his memory.

Scott E. Meyer is a former director of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies.

For 11 years he served as associate editor of Search, the internationally distributed journal published by the JGSI. He was co-editor of the North American Resources Section of the Encyclopedia of Jewish Genealogy, and consulting editor of “A Translation Guide to 19th-Century Polish-Language Civil-Registration Documents,” written by Judith R. Frazin and originally published by the JGSI.

His thoughts on the subject of Jewish genealogy have appeared in various publications in the field. In addition to teaching and lecturing on Jewish genealogy, Meyer is certified by the Board of Jewish Education of Metropolitan Chicago and has taught religious-school courses for more than 40 years.

While this program is free, those who join the society have access to several valuable members-only resources on the JGSI website. They include video recordings of more than 30 presentations from past JGSI events, valuable informational handouts from past speakers, and access to past Morasha newsletters containing informative articles about Jewish genealogy. To learn more about the benefits of joining the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois, go to http://jgsi.org/membership_benefits.

For more information about the Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois or the JGSI schedule of future events, visit http://jgsi.org/ or phone 312-666-0100.